Today’s Dessert and Cafe Menu Trends — 2026-04-24
On April 24, 2026, the local cafe and dessert scene saw Ediya Coffee expand its lineup with two new low-sugar and decaf PET coffees. Meanwhile, Compose Coffee’s "All Day Com" series has become a massive hit, exceeding 350,000 cups sold in just one week. While global trends like Dubai chocolate, pistachio, and matcha continue to influence the market, "Ube" has emerged as the new seasonal keyword, popping up in new releases from major brands like A Twosome Place and Starbucks.
Today’s Dessert and Cafe Menu Trends — 2026-04-24
Today’s New Menu Highlights
Ediya Coffee — Triple Low-Sugar Latte & Triple Decaf Americano (2 types of PET bottles)
- Category: Beverage (PET bottle RTD)
- Launch Date: April 23, 2026
- Key Features: Available in 500mL PET bottles. The "Triple Low-Sugar Latte" targets low-sugar demand, while the "Triple Decaf Americano" is aimed at caffeine-sensitive consumers. This addition brings Ediya’s PET coffee lineup to a total of five products.
- Why it matters: This marks the beginning of a direct confrontation between franchise cafes and the convenience store RTD (Ready-to-Drink) market. Their dual focus on low-sugar and decaf options is a strategic play targeting the health-conscious consumer trend.
Compose Coffee — All Day Com Series (New Menu + Character Goods Set)
- Category: Beverage + MD (Character Goods Set)
- Performance: Exceeded 350,000 cups sold within one week of launch (as of April 22, 2026).
- Key Features: The "All Day Com" series, featuring items like the "Vanilla Cream Latte," has been a huge success. Riding this momentum, they launched bundled sets with character-themed merchandise to enhance the customer experience.
- Why it matters: Low-cost coffee brands are increasingly moving beyond just selling drinks, using character marketing and merchandise to boost brand value. The 350,000-cup milestone proves the significant pull of new menu items from budget-friendly chains.
A Twosome Place & Starbucks — Ube-based Desserts and Beverages
- Category: Dessert / Beverage
- Status: Gaining traction across the industry since around April 19, 2026.
- Key Features: Ube, a purple yam from the Philippines, is being featured in new desserts and drinks by brands like A Twosome Place, Starbucks, and Knotted. Known for its vivid purple color and exotic flavor, the product lineup is expanding rapidly.
- Why it matters: Driven by social media-friendly visuals and interest in exotic ingredients, Ube is emerging as the new 2026 seasonal keyword, following the Dubai chocolate craze. This highlights a growing trend of Filipino and Southeast Asian ingredients entering the K-cafe scene.
Franchise Trends
-
Ediya Coffee: Completed a 5-product PET coffee lineup. Pursuing a "two-track" strategy of low-sugar and decaf to target the health-focused beverage market. As Ediya celebrates its 25th anniversary, the challenge remains to strengthen its position between budget brands (Mega, Compose) and premium brands.
-
Compose Coffee: Continued success with new menu items like the "Vanilla Cream Latte." Strengthened goods marketing strategy with the launch of character-themed merchandise sets.
-
A Twosome Place & Starbucks: Expanding Ube-themed new menus, attempting to capture SNS trends with visually striking purple desserts.
-
Paris Baguette: Opened "Cafe de Dessert" specialty stores, which focus on desserts infused with a "Parisian sentiment," accelerating their premium bakery cafe strategy.
Convenience Store & Bakery New Arrivals
-
Ediya Coffee (PET Channel): Launched the "Triple Low-Sugar Latte" and "Triple Decaf Americano" (500mL) to penetrate convenience stores and retail channels.
-
Paris Baguette — Cafe de Dessert specialty stores: These stores offer a premium dessert experience that differentiates itself from standard bakeries, serving as a key part of their brand premiumization strategy.
Today’s Trend Keywords
-
Ube: A Philippine purple yam that has become a spring 2026 keyword. Major cafe brands are rushing to launch Ube-based products, with the ingredient's purple hue and exotic sweetness proving perfect for social media verification.
-
Healthier Coffee (Low-sugar/Decaf): As seen with Ediya’s new PET products, low-sugar and decaf drinks are spreading rapidly in the RTD market. These options have become a core pillar of franchise RTD strategies, addressing both caffeine sensitivity and sugar intake concerns.
-
IP-linked Beverage (Goods/Character Marketing): Like the success of Compose Coffee’s "All Day Com," combining new menu launches with character-themed goods is becoming a staple strategy for budget coffee brands to build fandoms and "lock in" MZ generation consumers.
Global Comparison
In the global market, Starbucks officially embraced the Dubai chocolate trend in January 2026 with "Iced Dubai Chocolate Mocha" and "Iced Dubai Chocolate Matcha." Domestically, while the Dubai chocolate and pistachio trends peaked last season, the baton has now been passed to the Southeast Asian ingredient "Ube." While matcha-based beverages remain a long-term steady seller in both global and local markets, Korean brands tend to absorb global trends with a 2-3 month lag, while adding their own unique twists through budget-friendly structures and merchandise marketing.
Events to Watch Next Week
-
KIBA 2026 (Korea International Bakery Industry Expo): An exhibition covering everything from frozen dough to smart equipment and premium ingredients. The trend toward premium bakery cafes, such as Paris Baguette's "Cafe de Dessert," is expected to gain further momentum from this event.
-
Post-2026 Seoul Coffee Expo Movement: Following the successful event at COEX (April 15-19), which drew 74,000 visitors, the new products and technologies introduced are expected to hit the market in earnest starting late this week and next week.
-
Ediya Coffee PET Lineup Expansion: The industry is watching to see if the current 5-product PET lineup will expand further, fueling the heating competition in the functional/low-sugar RTD category.
Action Items for Readers
-
Menu Planners: Start developing seasonal, limited-edition drinks and desserts using Ube. Given its high global awareness and early entry stage in Korea, there is significant potential for differentiated positioning. Also, consider adding low-sugar and decaf options to existing signature menus.
-
Cafe Operators: Benchmark the success of Compose Coffee’s merchandise sets. Try testing bundled sets with small, limited-edition items (like stickers or cup sleeves) during new menu launches to drive social media engagement and repeat visits. With the expansion of the PET market, it is also a good time to consider introducing large-capacity takeout cups or bottled drink sales.
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
Powered by
